The branch of the Public Organization “The Office for Civil Freedoms” (OCF) in Khujand, the capital of the Tajik northern province of Sughd, has launched the first digital art gallery, where works by local activists are showcased. Their art highlights important issues such as domestic violence, discrimination, environmental pollution, and more, ASIA-Plus reported.
The gallery features digital artworks, as well as photographs, stories, and videos on a variety of topics. Currently, the gallery displays works by the winners and participants of art hackathons organized by the OCF in Dushanbe and Khujand.
"Our goal is not only to support talented art activists but also to draw attention to the challenges we all face," says the Office for Civil Freedoms.
Each piece of work tells the story of the meaning the artist has invested in it. In every narrative, the author speaks with pain about their negative experiences. Most of these experiences are related to gender inequality and stereotypes.
An example of one video is "Dreamers," by the author Amina Ayubi, who explores human rights violations through an allegorical plot.
The Office for Civil Freedoms (OCF) was created in 2013 as a youth human rights movement, which aims to strengthen human rights and the community of human rights defenders in Tajikistan. It provides educational training and holds winter and summer schools on human rights for young lawyers, law students, and teachers of law faculties. It is also a member of the Tajik Coalition against Torture and Impunity.